Strike: The Ink Black Heart - Season 6 release date and latest news
What's next for Strike and Robin?
It's been two long years since fans last caught up with Tom Burke's Cormoran Strike and Holliday Grainger's Robin Ellacott, but finally they're back in the BBC's sixth adaptation of one of the books by Robert Galbraith, AKA JK Rowling.
The new season is based on The Ink Black Heart, and finds the duo investigating with the co-creator of a popular cartoon is killed.
As they are drawn into a complex web of online aliases, business interests and family conflicts, Strike and Robin find themselves stretched to their limit.
But when will the new episodes air and who else from the cast is back for season 6? Read on for everything you need to know about Strike: The Ink Black Heart.
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Strike: The Ink Black Heart release date
It has now been confirmed that the first episode of Strike: The Ink Black Heart will air on Monday 16th December at 9pm on BBC One, while it will be followed by a second episode the following night (17th).
Episodes 3 and 4 will then arrive on Monday 23rd December and Tuesday 24th December respectively.
The first two seasons of the show aired in 2017, with season 3 arriving in 2018, season 4 in 2020 and the fifth season arriving in mid-December 2022.
Strike: The Ink Black Heart cast – who stars in the BBC drama?
Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger will of course both be back as Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott respectively, while Ruth Sheen, Jack Greenlees, Natasha O'Keefe and Caitlin Innes Edwards are all also returning.
New stars for season 6 include David Westhead (Enola Holmes 2), Christian McKay (Rivals), Emma Fielding (Van der Valk), Tupele Dorgu (Ridley) and James Nelson-Joyce (Industry).
The central cast for Strike: The Ink Black Heart is as follows:
- Tom Burke as Cormoran Strike
- Holliday Grainger as Robin Ellacott
- David Westhead as Grant Ledwell
- Christian McKay as Inigo Upcott
- Emma Fielding as Katya Upcott
- Tupele Dorgu as Midge Greenstreet
- James Nelson-Joyce as Pez Pierce
- Ruth Sheen as Pat Chauncey
- Jack Greenlees as Sam Barclay
- Natasha O'Keefe as Charlotte Ross
- Caitlin Innes Edwards as Ilsa Herbert
Strike: The Ink Black Heart plot - what's it about?
The official synopsis for season 6 says: "When frantic, desperate Edie Ledwell appears in the office begging to speak to her, private detective Robin Ellacott doesn't know quite what to make of the situation.
"The co-creator of a popular cartoon, The Ink Black Heart, Edie is being persecuted by a mysterious online figure who goes by the pseudonym of Anomie. Edie is desperate to uncover Anomie's true identity.
"Robin informs Edie that the agency is too busy to take on her case and thinks nothing more of it until a few weeks later, when she reads the shocking news that Edie has been tasered and then murdered in Highgate Cemetery, the location of The Ink Black Heart.
"Robin and her business partner Cormoran Strike become drawn into the quest to uncover Anomie's true identity. But with a complex web of online aliases, business interests and family conflicts to navigate, Strike and Robin find themselves embroiled in a case that stretches them to their limit."
There could also be more development in Strike and Robin's will-they-won't-they dance. At the end of Troubled Blood, Strike bought Robin a bottle of perfume for her birthday, before the pair headed off for a solo dinner together.
It was the perfect setting for a passionate kiss and for a moment, it looked like they were going to go there. But instead, Strike took the opportunity to tell Robin that she was his "best friend".
While it wasn't the romantic turning point viewers were hoping for, and possibly expecting, it was very sweet, nonetheless. But will they finally make a go of it in season 6?
Strike: The Ink Black Heart trailer
You can watch the trailer for Strike season 6 right here now.
Strike seasons 1-5 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Season 6 will begin airing from Monday 16th December 2024.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
